The close of sno-ball season

When cool weather finally hits South Louisiana, it brings with it the promise of sturdy gumbo, brawny tailgate eats and other comforting fare. But for all the dishes that reemerge in the fall, a host of others recede until next year. That includes sno-balls.

How many—and what flavors—did you consume during our summer of 2012 when temperatures around here rose to levels that seemed unfit for humans? We’re lucky in Baton Rouge, where an authentic sno-ball culture lives and breathes. Go north in the state, and to parts far and wide in the U.S., and the sno-ball largely becomes a sno-cone, a middling treat served at ball fields and country fairs with little fanfare and even less flavor.

In the thirties in New Orleans, a local machinist named Ernest Hansen perfected a mechanized ice shaver that deviated significantly from ice crushers already on the market. Hansen’s machine produced ice that actually felt like real snow. Another New Orleans entrepreneur, grocer, George Ortolano, developed a version of the machine, and succeeded in marketing the summer treat as well as the distinct, “sno-ball,” in New Orleans in the post-war period. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, run by Ernest’s granddaughter Ashley, is alive today. Ortolano’s nephew, Ronnie Sciortino, runs the family business SnoWizard, a top producer of ice shaving machines and flavors.

Baltimore claims an indigenous sno-ball culture, as does Hawaii, which calls its cold confection “shave ice.” But the New Orleans sno-ball, which we have adopted in Baton Rouge, stands out. It is defined by its cross-generational appeal, its tie to homespun entrepreneurship and to the picky palates of die-hard sno-ball fans.

“It’s all about the ice,” said Claude and Donna Black, owners of Williams Plum Street Sno-balls in New Orleans, one of the oldest stands in the state, which makes its flavors from scratch.

Operators both in Baton Rouge and New Orleans tell me that strawberry is the enduring favorite among die-hards and newcomers, even though their boards of fare list dozens of flavor options from bubble gum to the strawberry-green apple “frog-in-a-blender.” Nectar cream gets high marks among native New Orleanians. And mint is ever popular, especially when served in garish green. Some flavors, especially fruity ones, scream to be topped with condensed milk.

Summer stands will be closing soon, so get your last dose before it’s too late.